Holiday Appetizer Wreath

holiday appetizer wreath ingredients

Cheese

Choose a mix of familiar and unusual varieties and pay attention to color and texture. Cut or slice the cheese in different ways, from cubes and batons to triangles (different shapes allow the taste buds to experience cheese in different ways.) Avoid melted or gooey cheeses, everything should be finger-friendly.

• soft goat cheese slices
• merlot veined cheddar, cut into cubes
• dill havarti, cut into batons
• aged Swiss, sliced into triangles
• mini cheese balls

Nuts

Crunchy salty nuts with the melt-in-your-mouth texture of cheese is hard to beat. But offer them something other than canned peanuts!

• Marcona almonds
• pistachios in the shell
• spiced pecans
• Dark Roasted Almonds

Fruit

I like to include both whole and sliced fruit in my appetizer wreath. Fruit refreshes the palette after rich meats and cheeses. This is one area where I like to keep it familiar ~ save the persimmons and pomegranates for another day.

• pears
• grapes
• kiwi
• tangerines

Charcuterie

Some of us head straight to the meat on any cheese plate, so be sure to include it. I like to roll thinly sliced meats and pre-slice hard sausage. Salami roses aren’t hard to create (see my instructions below) and provide focal points for your appetizer wreath.

• salami roses
• hard sausage
• rolled prosciutto

Condiments

Use tiny little bowls to hold a few tablespoons of several different condiments and scatter them throughout your appetizer wreath. Be sure to include little spoons for serving. Serve something sweet and something hot in the group.

• mustard
• hot pepper jelly or jam ~ try my Easy Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe
• marmalades
• fig jams like this one.
• honey

Crackers

Crackers are one of the last things I add to my platter. I wedge them in wherever I see a free spot. Place them in clusters. Use any variety you love.

• Classic crackers like Carrs or Breton
• Crunchy seedy crackers like Raincoast Crisps ~ I have a fabulous homemade version of these crackers!

the board!

For this appetizer wreath you need a large round board of some sort. I’ve had my eye on this 20″ bird’s-eye maple cutting board at a local shop for a couple of years now and I finally splurged on it this month. It’s carved by Wisconsin woodworker Edward Wohl who I just read passed away earlier this year. I like having one or two oversized boards for constructing appetizer platters for larger gatherings. It’s fun to arrange colorful ingredients in different patterns and it makes a party seem extra special.

Find large round wooden boards in local shops, arts and craft shows, and online.

how to make your appetizer wreath ahead

The key to making an amazing cheese wreath ahead all comes down to one thing: prep. If you can get most of the elements ready to go the day before, the assembly is pure fun, and goes fast.

1. Slices, cubes, and wedges of cheese can be kept in separate zip lock baggies in the refrigerator for up to a day ahead.
2. Mini cheese balls can be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
3. Nuts can be loaded in little bowls and kept at room temperature.
4. Meats can be rolled, salami roses formed, and sausages sliced the day before and kept in baggies or wrapped in plastic in the fridge.
5. Fruit can be washed (but not cut.)

When ready to assemble your wreath arrange a border of herbs, and set out the bowls and largest items first. That gives you a basic structure and you can begin filling in with your cheeses, etc.

how to make a salami rose

You’ll need about 10-15 thin slices of salami and a shot glass or very small cup or wine glass.

1. Start layering: take a slice of salami and fold it in half over the rim of the glass.
2. Continue layering: continue adding folded slices of salami around the glass, overlapping each slice slightly.
3. Form the rose: as the glass starts to fill in in the middle, add one last piece of salami in the center.
4. Release the rose: flip the glass over and gently lift it off to reveal the rose,
5. Adjust and shape: gently adjust the petals for a more natural rose shape. Press together with your hands to encourage the salami petals to stick together.

Salami roses are constructed in such a way that snackers can remove each petal without the disturbing the rose, it’s genius!

appetizer wreath ingredient diagram

Use this diagram to get you started, but be sure to take it in your own direction.

1. aged Swiss cheese, cut in triangles
2. Marcona almonds with sea salt and rosemary
3. spiced toffee almonds
4. handmade mini cheeseballs
5. sliced soft goat cheese log, rolled in herbs
6. dilled havarti cheese, cut in thin batons
7. orange fig jam
8. whole grain Dijon mustard
9. Swiss tete de moines cheese (a ruffled cheese I’ve never seen before!) a sharp semi hard cheese sliced on a girolle, a tool that creates decorative ruffly rosettes
10. merlot laced cheddar cheese cut in cubes
11. Valencia orange jam
12. rolled prosciutto
13. salami rose
14. Camembert or Brie, cut in bite sized wedges
15. Peruvian hot pepper jam
16. pistachios in shell
17. hard sausage, sliced

my appetizer wreath is the ultimate party starter!

The way I’ve set up my wreath every quadrant offers something new and exciting to explore, so the appetizer platter is not only delicious but fun. The conversation flows as people discover new tastes and combinations so this gorgeous platter really does help get your party started off on a great foot.

Happy Holidays!